Blame falling prices for smartphones, TVs and laptops and weak economic growth in places like China. All that is putting a damper on growing categories like wearable fitness bands, smart home devices and drones.

Steve Koenig, the Consumer Technology Association's director of market research, announced the grim forecast at the opening press briefing at CES, the annual gadget show in Las Vegas that officially kicks off Wednesday.

Among other headwinds are the strong dollar, which makes devices sold in other currencies seem worse. The CTA's forecast is calculated in U.S. dollars.

Another big forecast is that tablets are being squeezed out of the market, as smartphones come with larger screens and convertible laptops act like tablets when detached from their keyboards.

Global unit sales of tablets are seen falling for the second year in a row, to 176 million units from 192 million last year. The peak was in 2014 when 224 million tablets were sold.

— Ryan Nakashima, AP Business Writer, Las Vegas

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2:30 p.m.

The annual CES gadget show that officially kicks off Wednesday is expecting between 150,000 attendees and last year's record 176,000, after the host organization took measures to cap attendance.

The Consumer Technology Association made getting passes tougher and charged early registration fees of $100 to $300 to people who hadn't attended shows in the past two years. It's an attempt to rein in the sprawling show and ensure attendees have a good experience.

But exhibitor square footage continues to grow, to over 2.4 million square feet, up from last year's 2.23 million. That's fueled by the growth in space devoted to autos, health and fitness wearables, virtual reality, 3-D printing and drones.

There are also over 500 startups at the show, up from around 375 last year.

— Ryan Nakashima, AP Business Writer, Las Vegas

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1:30 p.m.

Can you really walk away from your oven? Whirlpool hopes so with its new smart oven.

With a smartphone, you can start, stop and adjust the temperature from another room. You get alerts when pre-heating or cooking is done so you won't have to keep checking.

And if you leave home, the app will alert you if the oven is still on — if you also have a Nest thermostat, which can detect when you're away.

It isn't immediately known, though, whether there are any mechanisms to prevent you from accidentally turning the oven on while away.

Manufacturers like Whirlpool are using this week's CES gadget show in Las Vegas to showcase the latest technologies in everyday appliances. As these appliances connect to the Internet and to each other, people will be able to perform many basic functions from another room with a smartphone.

Whirlpool is also unveiling a dishwasher that can alert you when your dishes are done and estimate how much detergent you have left. It'll even automatically order more supplies if you've set up re-ordering through Amazon's Dash program.

The CES show starts Wednesday, though companies typically unveil new products earlier.

— Anick Jesdanun, AP Technology Writer, New York

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12:35 p.m.

A new floor-cleaning robot from LG will respond to its owner telling it: "You missed a spot."

The South Korean company's HOM-BOT Turbo+ makes use of cameras that record where it's already cleaned. If it didn't do a good job, augmented reality will come to the rescue.

Using any smartphone screen, the owner can point to a still-dusty area and the robot will go there to tidy up. And unlike a human, it probably doesn't mind being bossed around. Pricing and availability weren't announced.

This and other gadgets are set to be on display at the CES gadget show in Las Vegas, which opens Wednesday.

— Ryan Nakashima, AP Business Writer, Las Vegas

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11:55 a.m.

Fiat Chrysler is joining the parade of automakers incorporating Apple's CarPlay and Google's Android Auto into their infotainment services.

The company says both smartphone systems will be available on some unspecified models worldwide starting later in 2016. They will be part of the fourth generation of Fiat Chrysler's Uconnect touch-screen system. Fiat Chrysler says the new Uconnect system will start faster with quicker and more vivid touch screens.

Automakers have gradually been adding the Apple and Google systems to their infotainment systems, largely because customers want the screens to mimic their familiar smartphones and perform tasks the same way.

On Monday, Ford also announced plans to add the systems to its Sync infotainment centers. General Motors is rolling the systems out on select models, and others are also moving in that direction. At the same time, automakers are developing their own systems to control car functions.

Among the holdouts: Toyota says it has no plans yet to add Apple's or Google's system yet to its Toyota and Lexus infotainment services.

The announcements come as the CES show in Las Vegas is set to open Wednesday.

—Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer, Las Vegas

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11:35 a.m.

Intel, the giant chip company, is buying a German drone maker.

The move is part of Intel CEO Brian Krzanich's broader strategy to promote the use of Intel chips for new technologies — including drones, robots and a variety of sensor-equipped devices. This comes as sales decline for makers of personal computers, which are traditionally among Intel's biggest customers.

The German company, Ascending Technologies, already uses some Intel gear in its flying devices. At last year's CES gadget show in Las Vegas, Krzanich showed how Ascending Technologies is using Intel's RealSense three-dimensional optical sensors to help its drones navigate.

Intel has recently invested in several drone makers, including Ascending, China's Yuneec and California-based Airware.

Now Intel is buying Ascending outright. Intel wouldn't disclose the sales price, but says Ascending's 75 or so employees will be offered jobs at Intel.

Krzanich is scheduled to give the opening keynote at CES on Tuesday evening.

— Brandon Bailey, AP Technology Writer, San Francisco

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11 a.m.

Toyota will link all of its new vehicles to cellular networks starting with 2017 models in the U.S.

Driver and passengers get access to selected Internet data, but Toyota's "Data Communication Module" won't be a wireless hotspot just yet.

Drivers will get improved navigation and get updates on vehicle health and service. They'll be able to locate, lock, unlock and start their vehicles from a smartphone. The system will notify authorities if air bags are inflated in a crash.

Eventually passengers will be able to get broader wireless access, but Toyota had no details on timing or fees.

The company also plans to set up a data center to communicate with the cars, and it's joining Ford and Livio to develop the bones to link smartphone devices and apps to vehicles.

Toyota says it has no plans yet to add Apple's CarPlay or Google's Android Auto to Toyota and Lexus infotainment systems.

With HDR, or high-dynamic range, TVs will be able to display a greater range of color and contrast. It's a feature expected in many TV models to be unveiled this week at the CES gadget show in Las Vegas.

Roku said Monday that Chinese manufacturer TCL will be the first to offer 4K, HDR sets using Roku's system. Like other Roku TVs, the new sets will not only display traditional TV channels, but also thousands of streaming services including Netflix and Hulu. It's largely the same software used in Roku's stand-alone streaming devices.

Although CES doesn't open until Wednesday, many companies are unveiling their new products and services earlier.

— Anick Jesdanun, AP Technology Writer, New York

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10:10 a.m.

Ladies and gentlemen, start your headsets.

Oculus says it will start taking orders for its much-hyped Oculus Rift virtual-reality headset at 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday. The company says this is the final product that will go on sale, not a developers' kit. However, it is staying mum for now on the price or shipping date of the headset.

More details are expected to emerge Wednesday. Oculus founder Palmer Luckey will also do a Q&A on social media site Reddit on Wednesday.

The company, which was bought by Facebook in 2014 for $2 billion, says the headsets will come with two video games, "Lucky's Tale" by Playful and CCP's "EVE: Valkyrie."

The Rift will require a fairly powerful computer. Oculus plans a certification program so consumers can look for a sticker on PCs that support the Rift. Asus, Dell and Alienware will have certified models that cost less than $1,000.

Oculus was also behind a $100 Samsung VR headset. It is less powerful than the Rift and works with a Samsung phone rather than a PC.

— Mae Anderson, AP Technology Writer, New York

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8:45 a.m.

Microsoft says Windows 10 is now running on more than 200 million computers and other devices, five months after the new software was released.

The company says Windows 10 is seeing faster adoption than earlier Windows versions, with 40 percent of Windows 10 devices activated since the holiday shopping season started after Thanksgiving.

Microsoft made the announcement in a blog post as PC makers prepare to unveil new Windows 10 products at the CES gadget show in Las Vegas this week.

Microsoft is hoping the new software — which runs on personal computers, tablets, game consoles and other gadgets — will help it regain ground as it battles Apple and Google for consumer loyalty. It hopes to have Windows 10 on a billion devices in three years.

But it has a way to go. Analysts say the most common PC operating system is still Windows 7, which was released more than six years ago and lacks capabilities of newer releases.

— Brandon Bailey, AP Technology Writer, San Francisco

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8:20 a.m.

Ford is joining several other automakers and adding Apple's CarPlay and Google's Android Auto to its Sync touch-screen infotainment system.

The automaker also plans to install a 4G LTE wireless connection to its vehicles starting with the 2017 model year.

The familiar Apple and Google systems will be mimicked on the car's screen, with voice commands available. Ford said Monday that owners of Sync 3-equipped 2016 models in North America will get a chance to update software later this year, and the systems will appear on all Sync-equipped 2017 models.

Initially the wireless modem will let drivers find their cars in parking lots, unlock and start them from smart phones, and check the gas level and tire pressure. While the car is moving, smartphones will still be needed for Internet access. But spokesman Alan Hall says eventually the modems will be available for use as wireless hot spots. He says there won't be any recurring service fee for the first five years.

Ford also will announce additional apps that will be compatible with Sync.

Hall wouldn't comment on reports that Ford and Google will announce an autonomous car partnership at the gadget show. But he says Ford will have an autonomous car announcement.